Thanksgiving 2011

As I type this, I'm enjoying the quiet of the day after Thanksgiving.  It is early morning and the sun is just coming up.  However, millions of Americans are shopping on "Black Friday" hoping to get some good deals.  No Black Friday shopping day for me.  I hate shopping where there are crowds of people.  Today I plan to do some cleaning and organizing in our laundry/storage area in the basement.

Yesterday was Thanksgiving, so I was busy cooking a somewhat traditional dinner for guests from Viet Nam and Korea.  Gahee and some of her friends were invited to the home of one of her friend's relatives who lives in Springfield, Missouri, so she wasn't with us.  However, her friend, Bora, who is also a student in one of my classes joined Vy, Anh and their guests.  Unfortunately, George spent the day in bed suffering with a kidney stone situation.  He has dealt with this before and Anh suggested he drink pineapple juice regularly.

So the students and I had dinner, and then we went for a walk.  After the walk, we came back and had desserts:  blueberry cheesecake that Trang brought, some fresh fruit, some pumpkin pie, and some homemade gingersnap cookies.

Here's my pumpkin pie story:  I love homemade pies and I love to make them, so yesterday I was making a homemade pumpkin pie when my son-in-law called to see if I would be home.  He had company for the holiday, they were baking, and voila! - he brought over another pumpkin pie.  Great!   About a hour after the second pie arrived, my doorbell rang.  It was my neighbor, Bob.  He said, "Here's your newspaper...and here's a pumpkin pie I know your gal enjoys."  He refers to Gahee as "your gal."    So I ended up with three pumpkin pies.  We'll have to do some extra walking to work off all the desserts!!

Enjoy some photos of the day:

You can't really get an idea of the dimensions of our tiny kitchen, but this is what it typically looks like whenever anybody is doing some cooking.  Our old condo is large, but the kitchen is quite small....and crowded!

This is most of the working area I had to make the different items for the Thanksgiving dinner.  I made some items the day before.  It's very limited space, by American standards, but it worked...as long as I kept cleaning up the area as I prepared different things.

               The Turkey!  I also had some boneless pork ribs cooking in the slow cooker because not everyone likes turkey.

         Vy took a picture of me as I tried to carve the turkey.  It's something I hate doing because I'm not very good at it and I usually end up wrestling bird to get the meat off the bone.  Fortunately, she was there to help out and keep me calm.

                          The group - after enjoying some dessert.

Ali's Surprise Visit!!

So there I was last night...returning from another trip to the store with items for our Thanksgiving dinner, when all of a sudden the doorbell rings.  When I opened the door, Ali was standing there with a big smile!  I could hardly believe it!   He went upstairs and knocked on Gahee's door to surprise her, too.

He is on Thanksgiving break and decided to return to Columbia to visit with friends.  What a surprise!  He's been attending Boise State University in Idaho and he brought us several "Bronco" gifts to wear and enjoy.

We had a great visit just catching up on life, and after a while Meshari stopped by to say hi...so it was like a family reunion!  Before Ali and Meshari left to go to the mall, we made plans to all go out to dinner Friday.

Here are some photos:

                                                   Jenny and Ali - Nov. 22, 2011

                                             Gahee and Ali - Nov. 22, 2011

                                             Our first three homestay guests:  Meshari (being silly), Gahee and Ali
                                         

                                            Meshari and Ali get ready to leave for the mall.  Nov. 22, 2011

Before leaving, Meshari asked Gahee if she had any more of those instant coffee packets her mom sends from Korea.  She went upstairs and attempted to give Meshari a bag with some, but Ali grabbed the bag and pretended to steal it for himself.    This explains the funny photo above.


                                     

Vietnamese Dinner Night

A few weeks ago, Gahee worked hard in the kitchen preparing dinner for her guests, and yesterday Vy and Anh  also worked for hours - literally.  The results were delicious and quite healthy.  Extra effort was made to accommodate George's vegetarian diet...and that was extremely thoughtful.  Gahee was invited to another dinner gathering with Korean friends, so she wasn't able to join us.

During the hot pot preparation, George was delighted to discover a new kind of mushroom he had never seen before.  Only recently did I see this kind in a market, but George was amazed at the shape and delicacy.  He loves mushrooms.  Practically everybody I know loves mushrooms.  To me, mushrooms have no taste.  Nothing.  And then I'm not fond of the texture, either.  But I am certainly in the minority.  I'm the only person I know who doesn't care for mushrooms--except for my parents.  They don't like mushrooms either and never prepared them.

So here are some photos from the dinner:

                                                         
                                                      Vy and Anh - after all the hard work!

                                                    Our hostesses and their guests.

                                              Part of the clean up crew in our tiny kitchen

                                                 Trang Quynhduong visits with George who is
                                                 wearing his MIZZOU Tiger shirt.  (I hope I
                                                  spelled her name correctly.)


During dinner we talked about the Thanksgiving holiday that is coming up next Thursday.  No one had any specific plans, so we invited everyone to join us for dinner.  It will be a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, but I'll make sure we include several food items prepared in a healthy way.  

With Gahee, Vy, and Anh ...plus some of their friends, we'll have a big group for dinner, but it will be fun.   George will show them how to play  "Bumper Pool."

Gahee Hosts a Delightful Dinner

Last Saturday evening Gahee invited three friends for dinner, plus Anh, Vy, George and me.  We had such a nice time!  I had my first taste of rice wine.

Gahee made lasagna, traditional potato pancakes, and a potato noodle mushroom soup that got rave reviews.  For dessert we enjoyed slices of fresh fruit.   After dinner she treated her Korean guests to some tea and conversation time in her room while George, Vy, Anh, and I volunteered to clean up.

It was such a nice evening.  I think it was Vy who said, "We should do this more often."  Agreed!  I told Vy that she and Anh are welcome to have guests for dinner -  just let us know in advance.

In fact, we'll be doing a traditional Thanksgiving dinner on Nov. 24.  Vy and Anh's friend Jun (sp?) will join us and I told Gahee that if she wants to invite a guest, that's fine, too.

About an hour or so after dinner, the house became quiet.  Gahee left with her guests and Vy and Anh were picked up by some friends.  George watched a ballgame on TV and I went to bed early.  It was the Saturday when we change our time, so I moved my clock back one hour and enjoyed a good night's sleep.

Happy Birthday, Anh!

Our third birthday of the fall semester - Anh's 20th.  We went to KOBE Japanese Steakhouse where the girls enjoyed sushi, George had his first accidental taste of wasabe (sp?), and I enjoyed a familiar chicken and vegetable dish.

Our visit to MABA - Mid American Buddhist Association, Augusta, MO

I've  known about MABA for a few years, and last weekend we finally went for a visit.  Gahee, Vy, Ahn and I found our way to Augusta, MO on a beautiful autumn day and were warmly welcomed.  It takes two hours to drive there from Columbia, MO.

On the Sunday we visited, there were approximately 25 people present.  About six of us were first time visitors.  We had 40 minutes of silent meditation, 15 minutes of walking meditation, and about 10 minutes of chanting.  Then there were announcements and a potluck vegetarian lunch.  After lunch we walked around the property and took some pictures...which follow:

                                                           Main Meditation Room

                                              View from top of meditation hall

                                   After lunch in the multi-purpose room below the meditation hall  

                                                     The pond in autumn decor

                                                Gahee, Vy, and Ahn liked the willow trees

                                              Jenny loves willow trees, too.

                                              Steps leading to Kuan Yin Bodisattva shrine

                                                       Outside of the memorial hall

                                              Inside the memorial hall

                         Inside the memorial hall where people can have their cremation ashes interred.

                                          Outside the memorial hall

                                            Outside the memorial hall

We thoroughly enjoyed our time there.  Although I wish it were not a two hour drive, it's nice to have such a lovely place in Missouri.  Augusta, Missouri is located about 45 miles southwest of St. Louis.

Happy Birthday, Vy!!!

Vy turned 20 on Thurs. Sept. 29....just a few days after Gahee's 21st birthday.   Because of class schedules, we decided to go out to dinner a little later than usual.  Her first choice was China Wok.  She heard good comments about their food, but by the time we arrived there they were no longer serving meals, just doing take-out orders.

Gahee recommended a new Korean restaurant called KUI Korean B-B-Q on 9th street.  We were welcomed warmly and enjoyed our meal.

Note:  I've been trying to upload photos, but when I post them on the blog they will be sideways...even though in the album they are correctly positioned.  Anyway....here they are:

The dessert was free! .... and we all enjoyed a few bites.

Happy Birthday, Gahee!!

Gahee is now 21 - the way Americans count age; but 22 the way Koreans count age.  Nevertheless, it seems to be a nice birthday weekend.

Friday evening we went to Addison's in Columbia MO for her birthday dinner.

Below....all three young ladies fit into a large booth. (Lucky them!)    We learned that all three are Libras, according to their birth dates.  So we'll have 3 birthday dinners to enjoy within 4-5 weeks.

                                                            George and Jenny  Sept. 23, 2011 - The two of us sort of fit into a  large booth.  It's a good thing it wasn't any smaller!

On Saturday, Gahee had lunch with a friend, and today, Sunday, she'll be going out to dinner with friends.

Gahee loves pumpkin pie, so this morning I made some pumpkin bread, instead.  It's cooling in the kitchen as I write. 

Birthdays often seem to focus on food, and we have two more coming up in the near future - Vy's and Anh's.
I'm going to need to put in some extra exercise time!!

But for now, it's a special day for Gahee, and we extend to her all good wishes and much happiness in the year ahead.

Ants Are Loving Our Cozy Kitchen

We are experiencing the usual fall visit from ants.  With cooler weather now, they prefer being indoors where there are plenty of crumbs, spills, and dirty dishes.  They must love it.  We hate it...and I'm trying to avoid using chemicals in the kitchen.  My sister-in-law suggested sprinkling cinnamon around....but I don't want to deal with that mess, either.

This morning there were more than the usual few ants I've seen recently.  Last night someone wisely took the one leftover caramel apple and put it out on the deck.  There was a huge ant party going on in the plastic conatiner.  The jar of honey escaped their invasion, but just narrowly, and about 20 ants were scurrying around looking for snacks.  ugh!

After I wiped the counter, I sent an email to everyone in the house reminding them to rinse everything and wipe up after themselves.  With five of us going in and out of the kitchen...well, it's easy to leave crumbs and spills behind...and husband, George, is notorious for "not seeing" his leftover messes.  

Gahee and Jenny Meet Pilates

It's all Rose's fault.  She's another instructor at the community college where I teach and she mentioned that her roommate signed them both up for Free 2 Be Fit classes at a local church.  Turns out the church is very close to where we live, so I mentioned this to Gahee.  This past Monday we attended our first pilates class.....and it hurt!   It was fun, though.

We received a friendly greeting and were asked if we had ever attended a pilates class before. 

"No."

"Well, you'll need to take some Aleve when you get home."   I told Gahee that Aleve was a pain medicine...like ibuprophen.

The instruction was excellent, the participants had all been doing pilates for a while, and Gahee and I felt like fools.  She's young and very slim.  I'm the opposite; yet there we were both flailing our arms and legs around, trying not to laugh too loudly because everyone else was very concentrated with their efforts to move and hold arms and legs in painful positions as instructed.

About 10 minutes into the class I found myself thinking, "How much longer do we have?"

About 15 minutes into the class I found myself thinking, "Yoga doesn't hurt this much."

About 20 minutes into the class I found myself grunting, groaning, and sighing as I modified the required movements to accommodate my being so out of shape.

There were a few times when I saw myself doing movements better than Gahee.  She may be petite and young, but I did some leg circle movements better than she did.  Of course, we both watched in amazement as an older woman, who walked in with a limp when she joined the group, made leg circles and held ab poses as if she were a member of the U.S. Olympic team.  She was inspiring and intimidating.

We took pain medicine when we got home...and for the past several days I've felt some slight pain in my thigh muscles and stomach muscles.  That tells me I at least worked something other than my fat.

There are three programs to choose from:  pilates, zumba, and weight training.  Saturday morning I'll attend a zumba class.  I looked it up on YouTube....looks like fun! .... and less painful than pilates.  I'll just have to be careful with my weak right knee.  Don't know if Gahee will join me or not, but I'm going.   Also want to try out the weight training class.  I'm quite interested in that and I think Gahee might be, also.
 
And yes....I'll go back to pilates and do whatever I can manage....while wondering, "Are we almost done?"

Gahee Tutors Jenny in How to Use an iPod

Ok....I'm not a smartphone user.  I very much enjoy the simplicity of basic cell phone.  I don't even text.  But I've been curious about the potential conveniece of having a simple iPod.    I'll probably end up being one of those folks who keeps a basic cell phone AND carries a modest size tablet around, but until then, I'll have an iPod to play with.

Anyway....Gahee's friend wanted to sell her iPod.  The price was good for a 4th generation model, so I bought it.  Last night Gahee tried to show me some of the features and how to use them.  It was a frustrating session because I was so awkward with such a small device.  There were times when Gahee and I were laughing so hard we were crying. 

I was sitting there poking letters with my index finger...and missing most of them.  Then I would try to use my thumbs like everyone else in the world....but that was a disaster.  I felt like I was having to learn to walk and talk all over again.... in a different language....very, very slowly.

"You'll get used to it," Gahee encouraged me.  All I did was scowl at her....and then we would laugh.

I'm certain I will enjoy it for listening to music...checking email.... reading the news....etc.
It's my learning device.  Thank goodness I'll have a tutor close by.   Actually, I  have three.  Using an iPod/iPhone is second nature to all three of our student guests.

Vi and Ahn Do The Tiger Walk

It's part of MU's tradition....new students listen to welcoming remarks from university officials and then run/walk through the old columns that were once part of the original administration building destroyed  by fire many, many years ago.  They are greeted by MU alumni and other members of the MU community with Tiger Tracks ice cream...and then they enjoy a concert by Marching Mizzou.

The event was a great way for new students to be officially welcomed to MU, and it was nice to see several international students participating.  We met a transfer student from China and learned that he walked not far from where we live all the way to the quad on campus....in suffering heat...just because he wanted to be a part of the Tiger Walk.  Of course, we gave him a ride home.

Below are a couple photos from the event:

The columns - before 6,000 new students passed through them.:

Anh and Vi - official MU Tigers :

 

Marching Mizzou peforms on the MU quad after the Tiger Walk:

Vi and Anh watching Marching Mizzou perform:

Good Eats!

 Shortly after Vi and Anh arrived, Gahee and I took them to Saigon Bistro, a local restaurant in downtown Columbia, MO.  I'm sure it wasn't like home cooking, but it was at least a bit familiar.

Compare the healthy Vietnamese style of cooking to one of my husband's Saturday morning brunches - delicious, but typically American....cheesy eggs, vegetarian bacon, hash browns...and, of course, do nuts. Also in the picture is Jack....barely awake that Saturday morning.

Welcome, Vi and Anh

  Here they are!  Vi and Anh arrived in Columbia, MO on August 11 after attending community college in California.  Originally from Vietnam, they are settling nicely into life in a Midwest college town.  No ocean or mountains around here, but they'll adjust.  Hope they like snow.  We had a ton of it last winter and the early weather forecast indicates we could again have more snow than usual this winter.

The girls have settled into the room they asked to share, have become familiar with our local Wal Mart, met with some students from the Vietnamese Student Association, experienced Columbia's favorite cinema:  The Ragtag Cinema, and have located a few yummy eateries near campus/downtown Columbia.

Last night they joined thousands of other new MU students and participated in the traditional "Tiger Walk;" pictures of that will be posted soon.  It was a fun evening with ice cream and music from Marching Mizzou.

Today we all wake up to the first day of classes.  An exciting day!!!

Gahee Gets a Glimpse of DC

We finished up the summer with a quick trip to Virginia Beach to visit my son followed by a few days in southeast Pennsylvania.  My granddaughter, LaEabha, traveled with us and we managed a quick, one-day peak at DC so that Gahee could say she's been there.  Our time was spent at the National Art Gallery and the Natural History Museum.  We all enjoyed the beautiful sculpture garden next to the art gallery.  Gahee's conclusion:  DC seems better than New York.  Sorry, New Yorkers, but I would have to agree with her.   Maybe some day Gahee will be able to spend a week or so getting to experience all the great restaurants and sites of Washington DC.